Read Review
Michelle McNamara’s I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer remains one of my favorite books from 2018.
McNamara died tragically in 2016 prior to completion of the book, and the arrest of the GSK -- a result of a DNA link from a relative’s genetic genealogical test. The book is dark and terrifying, but skillfully written by McNamara who mindfully humanizes the killer’s victims.
The book itself will appeal to fans of true crime and mystery, but in McNamara’s hands she elevates the story beyond strict genre study. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is more than a detective story – McNamara traces changing forensic techniques through multi-decade investigations, but never loses focus of the killer, victims, investigators, and witnesses. Readers with an interest in human nature, crime, and investigative dramas will enjoy this work.
McNamara died tragically in 2016 prior to completion of the book, and the arrest of the GSK -- a result of a DNA link from a relative’s genetic genealogical test. The book is dark and terrifying, but skillfully written by McNamara who mindfully humanizes the killer’s victims.
The book itself will appeal to fans of true crime and mystery, but in McNamara’s hands she elevates the story beyond strict genre study. I’ll Be Gone in the Dark is more than a detective story – McNamara traces changing forensic techniques through multi-decade investigations, but never loses focus of the killer, victims, investigators, and witnesses. Readers with an interest in human nature, crime, and investigative dramas will enjoy this work.
